Man's revenge axe attack on man who shot his dog

Man's revenge axe attack on man who shot his dog

A MAN unleashed a "barbaric" axe attack when he discovered his therapy dog had been shot by his feuding neighbour.

Martin John Kreisman, 51, faced Dalby District Court on Monday on charges of serious assault and grievous bodily harm.

The court heard Kreisman and his elderly neighbour had an ongoing feud, with both previously reporting each other to police.

Last year on May 23 Kreisman's therapy dog wandered on to his neighbour's property before it was shot by the neighbour.

Kreisman heard the gunshot and followed the sound with an axe to confront his neighbour.

Kreisman pushed the man to the ground and struck him on the leg with the axe, causing a large gash.

He then took the neighbour's car keys, removed a 303 rifle from the car and threatened to shoot him before hiding the gun in bushes. The neighbour suffered severe injuries, including a compound fracture and ongoing mental health issues, the court heard.

Defence lawyer David Jones told the court the dog was more than just a family pet, it was Kreisman's therapy dog. The court heard Kreisman was assigned the dog to assist with post-traumatic stress after an incident in 2012 in which he and his wife were doused with fuel and set alight. He suffered burns to 60 per cent of his body.

Mr Jones said Kreisman "simply lost control" after he saw his dog had been shot and was remorseful.

Judge Alexander Horneman-Wren described the incident as a "brutal attack''. "You reacted in an entirely barbaric and irrational way," he said.

"People must be made aware no matter what level of provocation, you cannot seek your own retribution."

He was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for grievous bodily harm and 18 months for serious assault, served concurrently.

The sentence was wholly suspended after 15 months for an operational period of four years. He was convicted and not punished for unlawfully possessing weapons.